Eric Beckman, PhD

Eric Beckman, PhD

Dr. Eric Beckman is the Bevier Professor of Engineering in the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of Pittsburgh. In addition, he is a Co-Director of the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation, also located at Pitt.
Dr. Beckman attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he earned a BS in Chemical Engineering. He continued his education at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, where he received his PhD in Polymer Science and Engineering.
Dr. Beckman’s research interests include green molecular design, design of polymer systems for use in contact with tissue, and sustainable design of chemical products. He is heavily involved in entrepreneurial activities and has acquired 37 U.S. patents associated with this work. Some of the companies and their technologies he has created include:

-Created metal solvent extraction technology used to found Normex, Inc.

-Created N-vinyl formamide monomer and polymer technology used to found Northaven Specialty Chemicals

-Created medical adhesive technology used to found Cohera Medical, Inc.

-Generated polymers from CO2 to found Novomer, Inc. (Cornell startup)

Throughout his career, Dr. Beckman has been awarded numerous honors. Most recently he was named the Stephen Berry Lecturer, Telluride, Colorado (2011) and he received the Carnegie Science Award in Advanced Materials (2012). Also most notable are the awards received by Cohera Medical, Inc., and its product TissuGlu: